WW FAQs about Activity

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FAQ About Activity

Why does my body weight help determine Activity POINTS® values?

Carrying a 20-pound bag is twice as much work as carrying a 10-pound bag.

The same is true for carrying our body weight. Heavier people have to work

harder to move their weight when they do any kind of physical activity. As

you lose weight, you’ll earn fewer POINTS values for the same level of

intensity. Regular activity will improve your fitness level and you’ll be

able to reach a higher level of intensity.

If I concentrate on just doing abdominal workouts will that help burn fat

from my abdomen?

Spot reduction doesn’t work. When you combine activity with a nutritionally

balanced diet, you lose fat from all over your body. Abdominal workouts can

firm and build muscle but cannot make specific fat deposits disappear.

Will physical activity help get rid of cellulite?

Cellulite is nothing more than body fat in terms of structure and function.

The word cellulite is used to describe dimpling of the skin in problem areas

like the thighs and buttocks. Cellulite cannot be creamed away. Activity can

help by reducing body fat and toning muscle. This can help give skin a

smoother appearance as you near your weight goal.

Do I need to drink more fluids when I’m physically active?

Yes. It’s essential that you replace fluids lost through perspiration. To

reduce the chance for heat stroke, avoid doing aerobic activities during

heat advisories, especially if it’s very humid. Wear light and loose-fitting

clothing that allows perspiration to evaporate quickly. Drink plenty of cool

water before, during, and after physical activity.

If I’m planning on working out, when’s the best time to eat?

That depends on you and the type of activity you’re planning. Some people

like to eat after activity, others before. It’s wise to avoid vigorous

activity for at least 2 hours after eating a meal. A leisurely stroll after

a meal is absolutely fine.

Do I need any special foods to provide extra energy when I’m working out?

Research has shown that moderately active people do not require any special

foods or supplements to improve their physical activity performance.

Well-balanced meals supply the essential energy and nutrients sufficient to

power your activity plan.

Why are members advised to limit Activity POINTS values to no more than 4

per day unless under the supervision of an exercise professional?

The risk of injury substantially increases when physical activity levels

exceed this amount. (This limit is not arbitrary, but is reflected in the

guidelines of professional organizations.)

How are Activity POINTS values similar and dissimilar to Food POINTS values?

Activity POINTS values are just that – Activity POINTS values. Once earned,

they “count” toward meeting one’s activity goal of 1 to 2 POINTS values per

day during weight loss and 3 to 4 POINTS values per day for maintaining

weight loss. Activity POINTS values can be swapped for Food POINTS values on

a one-to-one basis. Once it has been swapped, it becomes a Food POINTS value

and is treated like any other Food POINTS value.

Why is it that when I’m active a lot and go off the food plan just a little

I still don’t lose?

It takes a lot of physical activity to burn a significant number of calories

and very little food to eat a significant number of calories. Take the

example of the member who walks an extra 2.5-3 miles to work off 2 cookies.

That’s approximately 45 minutes to walk off about 30 seconds of eating.

Thinking in these terms, it’s not a surprise that “a lot” of physical

activity and “a little” off the food plan adds up to no weight loss. Add to

the mix that the average person underestimates his/her food intake by as

much as 33 percent and overestimates his/her physical activity by about the

same amount.

Shouldn’t I lose when I’ve followed the plan perfectly and earned 4 Activity

POINTS values per day and not used them?

Many factors go into weight loss. It’s important to remember that the scale

is a very imprecise measurement tool of what’s occurring in your body. You

could be breaking down fat and retaining some water. The scale can’t tell

the difference and the number won’t reflect the fat loss. That’s why it’s so

important to look at scale weights as a TREND (several data points that form

a line in a general directions), not a single point in time that tells

precisely what has happened.

Does muscle weigh more than fat?

Technically, no, because a pound weighs a pound no matter what. However, a

pound of muscle has a smaller volume (i.e., takes up less space) than a

pound of fat. Think of a pound of corn and a pound of popped popcorn. Each

weighs a pound, but the popcorn takes up a lot more space. That means that a

175-pound woman with 26 percent body fat will be smaller (i.e., wear a

smaller dress size) than a 175-pound woman with 35 percent body fat. This

fact becomes the “acid test” when it comes to activity-induced weight gain.

If the weight stays but the body is getting smaller, then increased muscle

from physical activity is at work. If the weight stays the same and the body

size does, too, it’s not physical activity that’s stalling further weight

loss.

Since beginning to be physically active, I’ve expected to lose more weight,

but this hasn’t been the case. Why?

Aerobic activity can take months to show a difference on the scale. It’s

important to keep in mind that the actual weight loss due to physical

activity is likely to be small. For example, the activity plan encourages

you to earn an average of 2 Activity POINTS values per day. Assuming that

you earn these POINTS values every day and you don’t swap them for Food

POINTS values, you can reasonably expect to see about a 0.4 pound increase

in your weekly weight loss. Less activity, days “off,” and swapping Activity

POINTS values for Food POINTS values decreases the weight loss. In spite of

that, the benefits of physical activity are great. Physical activity is

closely linked with many health benefits, better mood and sleep patterns,

and a greater likelihood of keeping off weight that has been lost.

Is there a limit to the number of Activity POINTS values that can be traded

for extra food?

No, but the average daily number of Activity POINTS values earned in a day

shouldn’t exceed 4 unless the member is under the supervision of an exercise

professional. Furthermore, it’s never a good idea to be overactive in order

to overeat. Activity POINTS values that are swapped for Food POINTS values

and eaten won’t contribute to weight loss because you have eaten the

calories.

How much weight gain can I expect when I am building muscle? Will I be able

to maintain my weight within my Weight Range?

A member who does resistance training using his/her body for resistance or

using light weights is unlikely to actually build muscle. Rather, you will

minimize or eliminate the loss of muscle that normally accompanies weight

loss. Typically, each pound lost will be about 70-75 percent fat and 25-30

percent lean, with the lean lost being the amount that the body used to

support the fat. This will result in a change in percent body fat, but is

unlikely to be outside the “normal” range. Hence, no concern with the Weight

Watchers Weight Ranges. It’s only when you start doing serious weight

lifting that substantial additions of muscle will occur. In these

situations, an evaluation and revised ultimate weight goal to qualify for

Lifetime Membership status is recommended.

If I earn 7 Activity POINTS values in the day, can I eat all 7?

Yes, but remember that Activity POINTS values that are swapped for Food

POINTS values and eaten won’t contribute to weight loss because you have

eaten the calories.

Do I have to increase the intensity level of physical activity as I lose

weight?

You don’t have to increase the intensity, but it’s likely that you will have

to do something additional to get the same effect. A side effect of physical

activity is that your body adapts to what you’re doing and gets more

efficient at doing it. Normally we see efficiency as a good thing, but when

it comes to physical activity, increased efficiency means fewer calories

burned. It’s the same principle as your home-heating furnace. You buy a more

“efficient” heater and get the same amount of heat with less fuel. Calories

are the fuel of physical activity and increased efficiency means fewer

calories are burned. You can counteract the efficiency by changing the form

of physical activity to one that your body doesn’t know, making it newly

inefficient because it’s using different muscles, increasing the intensity

level of what you’re doing now, or doing the same activity at the same

intensity for more time. Any of these strategies work.

How do I calculate Activity POINTS values?

Use your POINTS booster slide to calculate Activity POINTS values.

How do I calculate POINTS values if I do more than 120 minutes of activity?

Break it down into smaller increments and go from there. It’s not an exact

science, so there are no rules.

Does it matter what time of day I’m physically active?

No.

Should I wait until I lose some weight before becoming active?

No. We recommend increasing activity from day one. We wait to introduce the

method for calculating Activity POINTS values, but there’s no reason to put

off physical activity.

What’s better for promoting weight loss – heavy weights, light weights, or

no weights?

The actual weight loss induced by strength training is minimal. That said,

doing the same activity for the same number of repetitions with heavy

weights would have a greater benefit because it can alter the intensity

level and have a greater effect on the building/preservation of lean tissue.

Should I lift weights, do aerobic activity, or both?

For a complete fitness plan, do both and stretch, too.

What is the relationship between physical activity, menopause, and weight

loss?

Technically, there isn’t a direct relationship. But age and a sedentary

lifestyle contribute to the lower metabolism that affects women of

menopausal age. Physical activity enhances the metabolism, tends to provide

benefits to the mid-section (where menopausal fat often accumulates), and

elevates mood.

If I swap 4 Activity POINTS values for Food POINTS values each day, will I

still lose weight?

Yes, but you are more likely to lose more weight if you don’t eat the

Activity POINTS values that you swapped for Food POINTS values. Activity

POINTS values that are swapped for Food POINTS values and then eaten lose

their contribution to weight loss.

What heart rate should I strive for when working out?

This depends on your physical activity goals and has nothing to do with

weight loss. If you want to derive health benefits, all levels count. For

cardiovascular fitness, 80-90 percent maximal heart rate is recommended. For

weight loss, a moderate level of intensity (60-70 percent maximal heart

rate) is recommended, not because of the heart rate, but because one is able

to work longer at this rate and thus, burn more total calories. For example,

the average person burns about 100 calories for each mile covered. Most

people can walk several miles at a moderate rate, but can’t run nearly as

far. Since mileage equals calories, the walker has the advantage.

How do I build muscle?

Resistance training with substantial weights, can help you build muscle.

What effect does building muscles have on my weight both short term and long

term?

Short term, you burn calories when active. Over the long term, muscle burns

a lot more calories than fat, so, on a pound-for-pound basis, a person with

a lower percent body fat will burn more calories at rest (i.e., have a

higher metabolism) than a person of the same weight with a higher percent

body fat.

How long do I need to be active before my metabolic rate increase is

sustained at a higher rate? Once I stop working out, what happens?

A higher metabolic rate only occurs with more muscle. It takes several weeks

of intensive training to build enough muscle to make a difference. As the

body increases efficiency, fewer calories are used. With disuse, the muscle

atrophies and the metabolic rate can decrease.

When I am weight training/lifting, should I be choosing foods that are

higher in protein?

No. The actual need for protein to build muscle is more than fulfilled

through the average diet.

I’m more active now than I’ve ever been but I’m staying the same or gaining.

Why is that?

It’s possible you’re overestimating physical activity and underestimating

food. We recommend that you reevaluate how physical activity and food are

being counted.

When a person does a lot of regular activity, would you advise them to swap

a certain number of Activity POINTS values for food to “counteract” the

tendency to under-eat and thus, slow down weight loss?

Swapping Activity POINTS values for Food POINTS values is an option for

those who choose to use it. It’s never an option Weight Watchers imposes on

members unless they’re losing weight at a rapid rate and don’t want to scale

back on their activity. Always remember, that when you make the swap and use

extra POINTS values, you’re eating extra calories. In doing so, it won’t

help your weight loss.